Fruits To Be Eaten During Summer

With summer up on us, there are hordes of juicy, tasty fruits that you can sink your teeth into. They are good for the nervous & respiratory system and lead to healthier looking skin. They are approx 80% water with high natural sugar giving energy to one and all when eaten fresh and ripe. Gorge on these sweet luscious fruits this summer -

Apricots – Apricots are rich in potassium, magnesium supplying stamina. They contain vitamin C, iron and beta carotene. They are fairly firm with bright orange colour. To be had when ripe. Unripe fruit can be stored for up to 2 days or so at room temperature before eating. Keeping them in the fridge will make them last a bit longer. Rinse and wash apricots before eating.

Strawberries – Buy sweet smelling strawberries that are red in colour without any white or green spots. Strawberries are full of vitamin C, potassium, sodium and iron as well as being low in calories. Strawberries can be frozen up to twelve months whole or sliced, with or without sugar. Do not remove the stem of fruit while storing it in the fridge. Before eating, rinse gently under cold running water.

Raspberries – Good source of vitamin C, vitamin A and fiber, raspberries are the most fragile of all the berries. So they have to be plucked gently. Buy firm dry raspberries avoiding soft ones. They are high perishable and should be refrigerated if not eaten immediately. Gently rinse the raspberries under cold running water and dry them on paper towels before serving.

Watermelons – Mostly water so they are low in calories. Excellent source of vitamin C, potassium and high in pectin. To know whether if the fruit is sweet, thump it with the knuckles and if you hear a hollow sound, then the fruit is going to taste sweet. Watermelon has dark green skin and bright red coloured flesh. Uncut fruit should be stored in a cool place, while cut watermelon should always be tightly wrapped, refrigerated and used within a day or so.

Cherries – Dark cherries = high in nutritional value. Packed with enzymes, vitamins and minerals. Buy heavy firm cherries with bright colour and fresh stem. They last for two days or so. Chilling not only preserves them, but also makes them more flavorful. Simply rinse cherries in cool water and drain on paper towel until they are ready to be eaten.

Pineapples – Storehouse of minerals, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, magnesium, sulfur, calcium and iron. They have loads of vitamin C and are an excellent source of bromelain, an enzyme that helps digestion. The best fruit to be eaten is the one with strong sweet aroma. The colour of the fruit skin should be dark golden colour; leaves should be fresh and green with no brown or yellow tips. They ripen at room temperature. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate it.

Peaches – They are a rich source of beta-carotene and potassium and contain moderate amounts of vitamin C. Buy bright coloured, firm peach with smooth skin and sweet aroma. They can ripen at room temperature. It is ideal to refrigerate the ripe ones and eat it within 5 days.

Weight Loss Nutrisystem Plan

The Nutrisystem is a popular choice because you do not need to worry about meal planning and staying on the system is pretty much going to guarantee you weight loss. However, there are reasons why it may not be the best choice. Recently a friend approached me wondering about whether or not she should try a new weight loss program and was wondering whether or not the Nutrisystem would be a good choice for her. She had recently tried Weight Watchers and although found some success with it, she found it hard to keep up with the program. At the time she did not know about my involvement with the Strip That Fat program because it is still very new on the market.

She went on to explain that the Nutrisystem would plan her meals for her and she was excited about that aspect. I explained that any system where you have to purchase your meals is going to be hard to stay on for a few reasons. One being that the bills add up fast and the meals cost more money than planning healthy meals yourself. I asked her how long she planned to stay on the system and she told me as long as it took her to lose about 20 pounds. I asked her what she was going to do after this time. I do not think she realized that she was setting herself up to go into the same yo-yo diet loop that she did when she tried Weight Watchers.

After she would stop the expensive new system she would probably go back to her old eating habits and put the weight right back on. I then told her all about the new Strip That Fat program and she immediately went online and got a copy for herself. I explained that the Strip That Fat system is a real lifestyle change and it was not something that would cost her a lot of money. The system comes with a diet guide as well as a diet generator. You start with the foods you already like to eat and you type them into the generator. Then you build healthy meal plans around this.

You buy your own meals at the store instead of sending them to your house so you save money. Also you are eating the foods you like already so you do not need to worry about eating food you hate making it difficult to stay on the diet.

The Secrets of A Healthy Heart

If you are trying to maintain a healthy heart here are some choices that you may want to implement into your lifestyle. I know that some of these may be very difficult for some people to do, but you have to ask yourself, Do I want to be healthy?

The following are all things you can do that are beneficial to the overall health of your heart. First, you should drink at least eight cups of water per day and exercise as much as possible.

I know this one might sound weird, but try to take deeper breaths when you breathe. This allows your body to get the maximum amount of oxygen in each breath, this is simply healthier for you and your heart. You also should consider getting a HEPA certified air purifier for your home and work place.

The most importane thing you can do to maintain a healthy heart is to eat as many fresh organic, fruits and vegetables as possible. It is also best to eat them uncooked, cooking can reduce the nutrient content within the vegetable.

You will want to go buy some mouthwash for your breath because you need to eat a lot of onions and garlic, and if you don’t like them you should take a natural garlic supplement. Garlic and onions help reduce cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as help support your immune system.

You need to increase your fiber intake. Fiber helps maintain the proper functioning of the large intestine, and it binds to harmful materials and makes sure they are eliminated from the body. Fiber also aids in weight loss and in the absorption of critical nutrients your body needs daily.

You can increase your fiber intake by eating more raw organic fruits and vegetables or taking a natural fiber supplement.

You also should try to eat wild, not farm raised, fish twice a week, and if you do not like to eat fish that much you should get your omega-3′s from a fish oil supplement.

The following are what you should avoid or watch our for if you want to maintain a healthy heart. You want to keep your stress level to a minimum. We all live pretty hectic lives, but the only way you will effectively get anything done is if you are healthy.

Is all that running around worth a heart attack later in life? I don’t think so. Take time for yourself everyday to exercise, you will notice that your stress levels will dramatically decrease just with regular exercise. Don’t have time? Make time. Your heart will thank you.

Try to avoid any toxic exposures of any kind, this means avoid processed food as much as possible and also avoid poor air quality. If you want a healthy heart you need to stay away from any trans fats and hydrogenated oils, deep fried foods, margarine etc.

To have a healhy heart you should also avoid tobacco, too much alcohol, too much caffeine, soda, and most juice drinks, they are just like soda. If you don’t believe me read the ingredients. Usually the only difference between most juice, sports drinks and soda is the carbonated water and the flavor.

If you are on medication for a heart condition always follow your medical provider’s advice and you should also try to educate yourself on the medication you are taking and any possible side effects you may need to look out for. If you are experiencing a lot of side effects, ask you doctor if they know of any natural remedies for your condition.

You should also get to know your family history of any heart conditions and address any possible concerns that may exist. If you are concerned see your local certified medical provider.

Good luck on your journey towards health and wellness!